How to teach a child to chew solid food - when to start. How to teach a child to solid food: useful tips

04.09.2019

Parents of children under one year old and beyond face many difficult situations. One of the frequently asked questions to pediatricians is: “How to teach a child to chew solid food?” Our article contains the most useful tips on this topic. They will definitely help in solving a difficult task.

From this article you will learn

Why does the child not want to chew

The unwillingness or inability to chew food, eat second courses in solid form have several reasons. We divide them into two groups: external and internal.

External, emanating from the characteristics of upbringing and the atmosphere in the house, include:

Parents' fears. Fear of giving the child solid food: “He can choke!” This is how overly caring mothers argue and continue to feed a one-year-old baby with mashed potatoes, soups, rubbed through a blender. And deprive the baby of the desire to chew.
Fussiness and laziness of parents. Mom or dad want to quickly feed the child. There is no time for chewing. And a bottle of porridge is given, soft food is sent to the mouth with a spoon at an accelerated pace. You don't have to chew, it saves time.
Delay with the introduction of complementary foods up to 1–1.5 years. The myth that it is better to breastfeed for up to three years and at the same time the child does not need anything else is still alive in the minds of grandmothers, young inexperienced parents. Refusal of complementary foods, late introduction of solid food leads to the formation of the habit of eating cereals from a bottle, sucking on mother's breast. Chewing in this case is not necessary at all.
Lack of chewing training during teething. If the baby was not given croutons, teethers for scratching itchy gums at 6–10 months, the chewing apparatus was not used to active movements.

Internal reasons include:

Lazy chest. The baby is too lazy to chew, and the mother does not insist. He quickly replaces the second dish with the first one, forgets to give carrots for an afternoon snack in the whole version. The kid is happy, the parents are not tired of the whims. Everyone is fine, but the child has not learned to chew.
Fear of eating. This often affects the little ones. Caring grandmothers, mothers get tired of waiting for an appetite and feed the baby by force. It is easier to stuff liquid food into the mouth, and they start with it. The hard one stays aside for a long time, and then it is simply swallowed by the child without chewing. The only thing he wants during lunch is to swallow faster and run away from the hated plate. As a result, he chokes, is afraid to swallow, refuses to eat in pieces.
Restless character. The kid is spinning, running, not concentrating on one thing. With this temperament, children chew, but they do it so quickly that they constantly choke. In this case, more patience, perseverance should be shown to mom.
developmental pathology. In rare cases, we are talking about neurological or mental illness. Children with autism, children with cerebral palsy, with hypotension (weakness) of the muscles are afraid of introducing new foods.

In order to understand how to teach a child to chew and swallow, you will have to analyze the situation individually. If the problem is in the behavior of the parent, start the solution with yourself.

Why is it important to teach

It is necessary to transfer children to solid food. Delayed learning leads to problems. Parents of one-year-old children should understand that chewing is a vital necessity. Consider this process from the negative and positive sides.

Positive aspects of chewing

Relief of the digestive tract. It is much easier for the stomach to digest thoroughly chewed food.

Training of the jaw, teeth. The chewing apparatus without load fails faster. With the constant use of liquid food, the teeth weaken, fall out, the maxillofacial muscles atrophy.

Formation of the skill of swallowing hard food. The final stage is important: swallowing. The child understands that the better he chews, the easier a small piece will pass through the throat, it will be easy to swallow. It will analyze how much you need to bite off so that food fits in your mouth. That is, chewing is a physical and intellectual process at the same time.

The development of speech. In the process of chewing and swallowing, the same muscles are involved that are responsible for articulation. By training to bite and chew, the baby learns to pronounce sounds, words, breathe correctly.

Possible problems due to inability to chew solid food

Difficulties with adaptation in the kindergarten. Solid foods are included in the diet of pupils of preschool institutions. If the child does not eat porridge, meat, the second course, he will remain hungry.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Much more enzymes and juices are required to process pieces of solid food that have entered the stomach. They are released during chewing. If food is swallowed in large pieces, then the stomach takes them dry, it cannot fully digest. The consequence of this process is gastritis, heartburn, nausea, and so on.
Formation of the habit of eating monotonous food. A child who is accustomed to eating the same mashed foods, receives less fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
A peanut at the age of 2–3 years, who has switched to solid food, is painful to chew. Gums and teeth are not accustomed to the load. You need to introduce products for chewing earlier.
Difficulty making sounds. The relationship between clear articulation and the ability to eat hard food is understandable from the point of view of physiology. The muscles of the jaw are responsible for chewing; tongue, cheeks, throat - for the process of swallowing. They also work when speaking. The passivity of the masticatory organs leads to late speech development or poor diction.

When can a child be given solid food?

Solid foods should be introduced at 5-6 months of age. The starting point for starting a skill is a noticeable salivation. From this point on, the gums are preparing for teething. The kid pulls everything that comes to hand into his mouth. Including your fists. Replace them with useful devices, the baby will train with benefit. Suggest as chewing gum:

Drying, cracker. Change them constantly so that the child does not choke on a piece of chewed off treats.

Teethers. The option with water inside is the most effective and convenient. The child will gnaw and thoroughly chew the chilled toy with great pleasure.

A modern version of gauze with a carrot or an apple inside. This device is a bag. It has a solid sweetness in it. The baby nibbles on the nibbler, crushes the fruit, and sucks the juices out of it. Eating and scratching gums at the same time.

When organizing a workout for the chewing apparatus, it is important to observe regularity. Encourage your young child to chew on something every day. If he refuses, insist, but in moderation. In case of tantrums and complete rejection of teethers, nibbler, pause for 2-3 days, then try again.

When the baby has mastered chewing hard objects, start feeding pieces of soft cookies, fruit for an afternoon snack or lunch. First, give a little, then offer to bite and chew on your own. But never leave a toothless baby alone with a large cookie, he can choke, biting off and swallowing a huge piece.

Thus, by starting positive solid food training at 6 months, mothers will have good chewing babies in about a year. If you start later, the process will be delayed.

Important! Wash all gum trainers (rodents, nibbler, gauze with apples) after each use, or rather boil them. The baby's mouth is very susceptible to bacteria.

At what age does your child learn to chew?

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How to teach to chew and swallow

You can teach your baby to chew using simple methods. Follow the advice without psychological pressure, regularly, and everything will work out:

Introduce solid foods into your diet gradually. Start complementary foods at 6-8 months. First, try adding pieces of fruit to the porridge, then crush the soup with a fork, without a blender, to get a heterogeneous mass.
In a year, mix liquid food with solid food in one plate. The ideal option is a broth with vegetables, pieces of potatoes. It will be easier for the child to swallow the chewed mass with liquid. As you learn, add less and less broth until the child chews and swallows only vegetables, meat, pasta.
At 12-16 months, give solid vegetables for a whole afternoon snack: carrots, an apple. If it is difficult for a child to chew on a hard skin, peel it.

Important! Check with your doctor about when you can give your child a new solid segment product. Errors in the introduction of complementary foods serve as provocateurs of problems with eating, difficulties in developing chewing skills.

And here is what Dr. Komarovsky advises:

A few more tricks

Start teaching chewing on your favorite toddler foods. Choose any, as long as the process gets better. But be careful: bread, cookies, crackers, sweet desserts in large quantities daily are harmful to the children's stomach.
Set an example of table manners and careful chewing. Be sure to combine your lunch with a meal of crumbs. Defiantly chew, swallow, let him understand how the process is going on visually. Forbid yourself to eat on the go without chewing. Children are very observant.
Start eating tough foods in small portions. For the first or third time, it is enough to add 1 teaspoon of fruit to the porridge.
Build muzzles with the baby near the mirror, grimace. Fun with mom will replace articulatory gymnastics, a warm-up for facial muscles.
If the child talks at least a little, ask him why he does not chew the food that is on the plate. Perhaps the baby himself will reveal the secret, the problem will be solved faster.

You can learn more useful tips in this short video:

What to do if the right moment is missed

The child is already 2-3 years old, and he is afraid to eat solid food, when he tries to offer second courses, he vomits and cries. Such situations are not uncommon if parents delayed with complementary foods or went on about the desire of the crumbs. In this case, the advice of a speech therapist, a neurologist will help:

Start the process from the very beginning. That is, a one and a half year old baby can be offered a nibbler, small pieces of fruit in porridge, poorly softened mashed potatoes. For the first training dinners, semi-solid foods are suitable.
Do articulation exercises. Pull your lips into a tube, smile broadly, imitate chewing near the mirror. Do exercises with your child. Spend at least 20 minutes a day exercising. Breaking up approaches for three to five minutes.
Use tongue massage as a prevention of the gag reflex. The purpose of the classes: to activate the muscles of the tongue. After a course of massage, the tongue will get used to getting solid food into the throat, and will not push it out. The baby will no longer choke, be afraid to swallow pieces, choke.

How to do it: use the services of a professional or learn on yourself first, then carry out the procedure on a child. Take a spatula or a stick for examining the throat, put it on the tongue and press, slowly moving towards the root of the tongue. If the child feels fear, starts crying, stop. Continue the next day. Go deeper slowly, let it take two or three weeks.

Help chew with your hands. Touch your face, move your cheeks, if the baby does not mind. At this moment, chew for fun yourself, comment on all the actions.
Provoke the desire to chew. Give a tasty treat, such as marmalade, banana (small piece). And then offer a bigger piece. The child must want to bite him.
Look to other people for example. Go for lunch or dinner to visit, invite couples with children to your place. By studying the behavior of peers, the baby will quickly learn to chew.

To master the chewing skill, especially at an older age (1.5–2 years), the psychological environment and a few simple tricks are important:

Make up a story about the benefits of chewing. Tell a compelling story more often. Do not forget to scare the beginning a little, where the hero did not want to eat bread, meat, but coped with laziness and learned everything.
Talk about the benefits of good nutrition. Stories about the work of internal organs are liked by children after 2 years. Persuade the baby to help the stomach cope with the load, provide the body with useful substances in solid form.
Arrange competitions. Who will chew meat better, who has sharper and faster teeth, etc.
Do not spare time and effort. It will take more time to study after a year.
Do not scare the child, even if he choked, do not be afraid yourself. In extreme cases, help the baby cope with the cough. If the little one sees how tense his mother is, he will be excited and scared himself.
Involve your little one in food preparation. Let him grate vegetables, salt porridge, etc. And then eat the fruits of his labor. Praise for any manifestation of interest, attempts to chew is a must.
Serve the table with forks for second courses. Stringing pieces and putting them in your mouth with a fork is much more interesting.
Shouting, swearing is prohibited. Let the child spit out the cooked dish, frown, protest. For bad behavior, you can only scold him a little and make an upset look. Shouting, threatening is strictly prohibited.
Don't forget to praise achievements. Praise for children is the best engine of progress.

Important! Forcing to eat by force is tantamount to mockery of the little one. According to Dr. Komarovsky, young children should be left alone for a couple of days. They themselves will come running to the kitchen with a request to feed. And the persistence of parents in the matter of feeding: their frequency, the volume of the portion eaten - provokes whims and infantilism.

How to stimulate appetite

Children with poor appetite often suffer from a lack of desire to eat solid foods and eat well in general. Induce hunger in the following ways:

Don't force feed.
Avoid snacking on sweets, rolls, juices from packages.
Walk a lot.
Lead an active lifestyle.
Drink sour compotes. Prepare a decoction of prunes and add fennel seeds to it.
Keep your stool regular.
Include boiled and raw vegetables in the menu.
Let's drink more water.
Replace teas with a decoction of wild rose, chamomile.
Drink a course of vitamins prescribed by a doctor.
Feed properly. Give complementary foods first, followed by formula or breast milk.

It is not easy to teach a child to chew if he does not want to, chokes or chokes. But who said that raising children is easy. Show restraint, be patient, follow the advice of doctors, psychologists, experienced parents, and everything will work out.

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Many young parents are concerned about the question: how to teach a child to chew? When should a child start chewing food?

The chewing reflex manifests itself by about six months. You can notice, having given the baby drying at this age, that he vigorously tries to bite it.

Some believe that this is how the child tries to scratch his gums, but more often the child pulls hard objects into his mouth when the chewing reflex wakes up. So the baby learns to chew. This moment must not be missed, because in a couple of months, as soon as the child has teeth, chewing will be a difficult task for him. Therefore, you need to develop chewing skills even before the first tooth appears.

Many reflexes are laid down by nature, including sucking. However, even when breastfeeding, the baby does not immediately succeed in sucking properly. It is the same with the chewing reflex, you need to train it by giving the baby at first thicker food than usual, so that he gradually learns to swallow it, pushing it with his tongue and working his jaws.

When should a child start chewing food?

The digestive tract develops along with other organs and systems, fermentation, muscle fibers of the stomach, intestines improve, and after a while it is ready to digest small pieces of food.

If the baby is used to eating pureed food, his digestive system begins to “lazy”, making it difficult to digest food. The chewing muscles do not develop, and this, as experts say, can lead to underdevelopment of the face oval, as well as an incorrect bite. Orthodontists, of course, will help correct this problem, but it is better to prevent all possible violations than to correct them with difficulty later.

Some mothers complain that the baby refuses to chew. Does he need to be taught this? Why is he lazy to chew? And the reason may be banal - many young mothers most often use special mashed ready-made purees to feed the child. It's very convenient, doesn't take time, and kids grow up very well on this kind of food. The child is healthy, and no one pays attention for the time being that he eats only mashed homogeneous food. But if the same picture is observed by the age of two, parents begin to worry and look for a solution to the problem.

There are no special techniques for teaching chewing. The most important thing for parents is to create conditions in time for the baby to gradually master the chewing skill, develop it and eventually learn to cope with solid food.

It is also difficult for children to master the skill of chewing because this time is usually accompanied by painful sensations in the gums, as teeth are being cut.
As soon as the first teeth appear, the baby is able to chew not very solid food.

For young mothers who prefer industrial-made purees, we advise you to read on the labels for what age this or that product is intended. Each product, whether it is mashed potatoes or instant porridge, differs in age orientation. Each stage of the "growing up" of the product differs in the degree of grinding. For older children, thicker foods containing small pieces of food are intended so that the child begins to learn to work with the jaws and tongue, stimulating the chewing reflex. These products already require you to start moving from a pacifier to spoon-feeding, which is important for instilling skills that accustom to regular "adult" food.

From the age of 8 months, you can give the baby pureed porridge with the addition of thicker lumps, let him try to chew hard drying, soaking it with saliva. Drying is a fairly common product, it contains few nutrients, but it smells delicious and consists of natural products, so it is an ideal “trainer” for chewing. Drying pieces moistened with saliva, the child is able to swallow and appreciate their taste. Drying should not be sprinkled with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or contain raisins. When the baby eats something, it is necessary to look after him so that he does not choke and be able to provide assistance in time.

All children are different, it does not pass by their taste preferences. Some very easily switch to thick food, others eat only pieces from the plate, tasting them by mouth, while others show no interest at all in any food except pureed.

Try to put the baby at the table with the whole family, let everyone eat the same food, for example, light soup - vermicelli, vegetable. Let your child try a steamed cutlet or meatballs, let him try them under your vigilant control. Serve him the colored pieces of vegetables laid out, taste them yourself and praise their taste. The kid is always prone to imitation, so he will also definitely take a piece. Let him not eat everything at first, feed him with his usual food. And over time, he himself will ask for another, "adult" food.

Pediatricians claim that in recent years, cases have become more frequent when grown-up babies refuse to eat solid food, preferring carefully crushed purees and mixtures. That is, an increasing number of families are faced with the question of how to teach a child to chew?

The reason for this refusal of the baby is quite understandable. Today, mothers use ready-made formulas and factory-made purees for feeding. These products are crushed very carefully, so the child does not have to make an effort to chew. Of course, it is easier for a child to follow the path of least resistance, and he does not want to chew solid food, because all the same, then mother will give the usual mashed food.

Is it necessary to teach the child to chew and swallow, or let everything take its course? After all, over time, the child will still be forced to master this skill?

In fact, avoiding solid foods and chewing at an early age will have negative consequences. The ability to chew is necessary:

To strengthen teeth. If the baby is fed exclusively with pureed food for a long time, then this can cause the formation of an incorrect bite and other dental problems.

To ensure normal digestion. As the child grows, so does the GI tract. If the child does not receive solid food, then the stomach begins to "lazy". After all, if food is not chewed, then it is not saturated with saliva, and, accordingly, when it enters the stomach, it does not contribute to the production of digestive enzymes. As a result, serious problems with digestion await the child in the future.

For the development of speech. When chewing, the muscles that take part in the pronunciation of sounds are trained. If a child does not develop a chewing skill in time, then it is not surprising that he will have problems with the development of speech.

In addition, if the chewing skill is not formed in time, then the child may simply get used to it and not want to make an effort in order to cope with solid food. At 2-3 years old, a child can already manipulate his parents, realizing that if he tightly squeezes his lips, refusing to eat or starts shedding streams of tears, then they will leave him behind and feed him the usual pureed food.

When should you start studying?

It turns out that the formation of chewing skills must be started very early, even before the child acquires teeth. At the age of 6-7 months, babies actively pull everything into their mouths to scratch their gums. Gnawing on a special device (teether), the child gradually trains the chewing muscles, preparing for the transition to solid food.

In ancient times, to train the chewing muscles, grandmothers wrapped a piece of food (for example, an apple) in gauze and gave this bag to the baby so that he would procrastinate and gradually chew the food. Modern mothers have access to a more convenient device called a nibbler. Outwardly, it does not look like a pacifier, but it has a lid on the back, into which baby cookies or other products are placed. Musolya nibbler, the child crushes the product and moistens it with saliva, which contributes to the appearance of a sense of taste. Moms will only need to make sure that the mesh of the chewing part of the nibbler remains intact (the sharp teeth of the baby can damage it) and, of course, wash the device after each use. You can give your baby a nibbler as early as 7-9 months.

Read also: How to teach a child to blow his nose? We conduct training in the form of a game

In extreme cases, if it was not possible to purchase a nibbler, you can give the baby drying. So that he does not lose it, drying can be hung on a string like a pendant. Of course, drying does not represent a special nutritional value, but they are an excellent simulator for chewing muscles.

Giving a nibbler or drying to a child during the appearance of the first teeth, if this moment is missed, then it will be much more difficult to teach the child to chew. In addition to dryers and cookies, a 9-10 month old child can be offered pieces of fruits and vegetables. Even if the child initially refuses to bite the offered food, you need to periodically offer him again and again until he agrees.

Many mothers believe that before the child is 1 year old, it is harmful for him to give solid food. Actually it is not. Of course, a child won’t eat a lot by procrastinating an apple or a cookie, but on the other hand, his muscles will receive the proper load, and this will eventually facilitate not only the process of learning to chew, but also the development of speech.

The only thing to watch out for is that the child, while procrastinating the product, does not breathe through his mouth, that is, his nose should be free. If the baby has a runny nose, you will need to temporarily stop giving him solid food until he recovers.

How to teach?

The transition to solid foods should be gradual. If the child is fed with ready-made factory-made products, then you need to select mashed potatoes and cereals in accordance with age. Most well-known manufacturers divide their products into age groups. That is, a child of 10-11 months should not be fed with porridge intended for six-month-old babies.

Products for older age categories differ in consistency, they are thicker, grains and lumps come across in them. This will prepare the baby well for the transition to the common table.

If the mother prefers to cook food for the child herself, then you need to gradually reduce the degree of grinding, working less with a blender. After a year, the blender will need to be used less frequently. For example, do not grind boiled vegetables into a puree, but chop with a fork, and grate an apple.

But you should not rush with meat, pieces of this product can be given only after three years. Meat requires more thorough chewing, so a small child will not cope with the task. For children of this age, mince dishes should be prepared - meatballs, meatballs, etc.

What to do if the moment is missed?

First of all, you need to make sure that there are no physiological reasons that prevent you from eating solid foods. Violations may be associated with malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract or diseases of the throat or oral cavity. Therefore, mothers should not neglect dispensary examinations, which, as a rule, reveal the reasons that hinder the development of the chewing skill.

Read also: Simple rules for visiting kindergarten

If the child is healthy, then the reason for refusal is most likely an unwillingness to overcome difficulties. In this case, parents will have to show maximum patience and endurance in order to teach their child to chew solid food. You should not put pressure on the child, since the severity of the parents in this matter will lead to the fact that the child will develop fear and rejection of the feeding process.

In no case, you can not abruptly switch to lumpy food. If yesterday the child was fed with carefully chopped mashed potatoes, and today they offered borscht or vegetable stew in pieces, then it is quite natural that he will refuse to eat. He simply will not understand why, instead of “normal” food, his mother is trying to shove something into him, in his opinion, inedible.

Some proponents of strict measures prefer to adhere to the principle: "If you do not eat, then you are not hungry." But this principle is by no means the best, since the child is still too small and regular meals are very important for him.

Moreover, you don’t need to shove spoon after spoon into your baby’s mouth if he chokes and spits food. Such feeding will bring nothing but damaged nerves.

Parents need to tune in to a long learning process in which any transitions will be made gradually.

It is necessary to feed the child with the usual puree and cereals, gradually changing the consistency of the food, making it thicker, but not yet containing lumps. If the food is made too thick and the child does not eat, then you need to slightly dilute the portion of food with liquid (water, milk, broth), and try to feed the baby. If you act gradually, then the child will soon learn to eat thick, albeit mashed food.

Next, you need to put a few pieces of vegetables or fruits on a plate along with the usual puree. At the same time, it must be emphasized that it is precisely such food (in pieces) that all big children and adults eat. The child often strives to imitate his parents, so it will be easy to motivate him to acquire a new skill - to chew food in pieces.

At this time, it is worthwhile to seat the baby at a common table with the whole family (of course, in a high chair for feeding), the way he sees that everyone else eats food in pieces, and not pureed.

The next step is to add pieces to the food. For example, small pieces of soft fruits (peaches, pears) or vegetables (boiled carrots, beets) can be added to porridge. Gradually, you need to increase the size and number of pieces, eventually completely switching to non-mashed, but soft food. Then you can introduce into the diet, pieces of solid food - apples, cucumbers, etc.

To stimulate the interest of a child over 2 years old, you can "involve" him in cooking. For example, when cooking porridge, let him touch rice or buckwheat. If soup is being cooked, then show what the vegetables are.

If at the right time the child was not taught to chew, continuing to feed him grated soups and mashed potatoes even at 2 years old, then the consequences for his health can be disappointing.

An incorrect bite will form, dental problems will appear.
Digestion will be spoiled. As a child grows, their gastrointestinal tract develops along with it. The lack of solid food in the baby's diet will lead to atrophy of the stomach - upon receipt, the food will no longer be processed by the proper amount of saliva, which, in turn, will cause a lack of enzymes produced and malfunctions of the digestive system.
The lack of chewing skills will invariably lead to problems in the development of speech, since the muscles responsible for the pronunciation of sounds will not receive the necessary load for development.

Moreover, a child who constantly receives grated food will lose the habit of making any effort on his part to chew and will consciously begin to refuse solid food. So, by the age of two or three, children are able to manipulate their parents, demanding their usual food.

For children who are preparing for kindergarten by this time, this will become a real problem, however, as well as for their parents.

At what age does a child develop chewing skills?

By accustoming babies to food crushed with a sieve or blender and using easy-to-prepare infant formulas, many inexperienced mothers are so addicted to the process that they often miss the moment when they need to introduce solid food into their child's diet.

At the same time, many of them are sure that the baby can live peacefully and enjoy without solid food for up to 1 year, not suspecting that chewing skills need to be formed not from the moment the first teeth appear, but much earlier.

How not to miss the right moment?

Pay attention to the behavior of the crumbs. As soon as you notice that he began to actively pull everything that comes to hand into his mouth, start acting!

If the baby's gums itch, and this is the first signal that it is time to start instilling chewing skills in him. In some children, this period occurs at 4-5 months, while in others by 7 months or later.

How to lay the right foundation for chewing skill?

How to teach a child to chew at such an early age? Use a simple device - a teether, biting which the baby will begin to train the chewing muscles himself!

A gum ring, a timely transition to age-appropriate ready-made formulas and the introduction of complementary foods will allow the baby to learn to chew on its own as early as 1 year old.

How to teach a baby to chew: effective methods

Introduction to solid foods

To begin with, the transition to solid food should be gradual. If you use ready-made formulas and purees, then choose only those products that are appropriate for the age of the child. The older the baby, the thicker the mixture will be, and fruit, meat and vegetable purees will contain solid pieces of food.

If you are used to feeding your baby with homemade products, then you can start the transition to solid food by gradually reducing the degree of grinding and abandoning the blender. Some food can be crushed with a fork, and some grated on a coarse grater.

But what to do if the right moment is missed, the child is already too accustomed to grated food and categorically refuses to chew and swallow even small pieces?

tongue massage

Start by activating the muscles of the tongue, which is necessary in order to prevent the baby from having a gag reflex when solid food enters the mouth. To do this, gently massage the child's tongue daily with gauze and a wooden spatula, trying to get closer to the root of the tongue every day.

Alternatively, you can also offer the baby to push out a gauze napkin placed behind the cheek with the tongue. It will be great if, along the way, you introduce articulatory gymnastics into the life of a child.

Nibbler use

To help your baby cope with the fear of getting solid food in his mouth, you can start with fruit wrapped in cheesecloth or using a more modern device - a nibbler - a feeding sieve.

A nibbler is a small, dummy-shaped sieve with a handle into which a piece of fruit or vegetable is placed. The child will be able to train chewing reflexes by simply chewing fruit in a nibbler without the risk of choking on a large piece.

Involving your child in the food preparation process

You can try to play a child after a year old, convincing that the blender is broken, so you have to crush the food with a fork. An excellent effect can be achieved if you involve the baby in the cooking process - let him crush the potatoes with a fork or grate the carrots.

Perhaps in this case he will have more desire to taste the fruits of his labor.

positive example

It is very important to demonstrate to the baby with the whole family that eating pieces of food with a fork is interesting. Start by setting the table, invite all family members to it, deliberately ignoring the child.

At meals, focus on how tasty and convenient it is to eat solid food, thereby awakening the baby's interest in what is happening. Let him sit at the table only after he is very hungry.

Invite guests more often, go with your child to visit yourself and be sure to focus on eating “adult” food. It is important to let your baby know that eating such food is exciting, even if it takes a long time.

How to captivate a baby with solid food without appetite?

A special case is the lack of appetite in a child. Parents are happy to feed such children with grated food, so long as they do not remain hungry. As a result, there is a lack of progress in the formation of chewing skills and the capriciousness of a baby who is used to being indulged.

In this case, the answer to the question: “How to teach a child to chew?” will not consist in developing his chewing skills, but in stimulating interest in food. A healthy appetite for the crumbs will speed up the process of his transition to eating solid foods, and therefore chewing.

So, if your child is one of those who cannot be persuaded to sit down at the table of their own accord, then before moving on to the process of teaching him chewing skills, it is worth trying to work on awakening his appetite:

Dilute the baby's drink instead of sugar with rosehip syrup or give rosehip juice diluted in water.
Replace store-bought juices with homemade compotes with prunes and fennel seeds.
Spend more time outdoors, actively playing with your baby.
Do not let your child snack or drink milk or juice between meals.

Be consistent and persistent in achieving the goal, do not let the child manipulate you and, most importantly, support his interest in food in all available ways, including by creatively decorating dishes.

Do not leave the baby with food unattended and in no case oppress him with strict control, provoking a sense of danger while eating hard food. This will lead to the fact that the child will begin to choke and stop enjoying food.

How to teach a child to chew solid food? It is imperative to ensure that the child's chewing habit is formed correctly and at the right time. To do this, you should know the main reasons for the lack of ability to chew in children and methods for developing this ability. You can read about it in this article.

When should you worry?

The chewing reflex appears in a child at about the age of 6-8 months, when milk teeth begin to erupt. It is at this age that the baby makes the first attempts to bite when he pulls hard objects into his mouth. This is a signal for parents that it is worth gradually accustoming the baby to solid food. It is better to start with mashed potatoes and liquid cereals.

By the age of 1 year, the baby is already able to grind small pieces of food on its own.

By the age of 2, a normally developing child is already chewing and swallowing solid food.

If at the age of 2 years the child has not yet developed the ability to chew solid food, parents should seek the advice of a doctor.

Causes of skill development problems

There are several reasons that hinder the development of chewing skills in a child. Most of them are subjective and can be eliminated with due attention from parents.

The main causes of difficulties in the development of chewing skills are as follows:

Lack of patience in parents. Teaching a baby to solid food is a rather long and laborious process. Some parents quickly get tired of working with a child, and they give him the food that he is used to.
Fear that the child might Parents begin to accustom the child to solid food late, because they are afraid that he may choke. In the future, this leads to even greater difficulties in the formation of the skill.
Uncomfortable bed. Do not use the same spoon to feed your baby that you use yourself. Take a light and comfortable spoon with a bright pattern.
Increased activity of the child. Children with hyperactivity find it harder to focus on chewing and swallowing. They also require food, the consumption of which is not worth much effort.
Absence of devices that facilitate teething. Without teethers, it is more difficult for a child to learn to chew in the future. There is also a threat of the formation of a malocclusion.
Non-compliance with the schedule of accustoming the baby to solid food. It is necessary to accustom the child gradually. If you abruptly transfer the baby to solid food, this will only lead to whims and stress for him.

Ways to teach to chew

Doctors recommend starting the formation of the chewing skill in a child at a fairly early age so as not to miss the moment when it will be difficult to accustom the baby to solid food.

The following are ways to help facilitate the learning process:

Nibbler use. You can begin to teach your child to eat solid foods at the age of about six months. It is best to use a nibbler for this. This is a special strainer into which a piece of fruit or vegetable is inserted. The baby can safely suck on food, try to chew it and get used to the taste without the threat of choking.
Patience and calm. Do not be nervous and do not scold the baby if something does not work out for him. Make sure that the child is comfortable and interesting, and feeding leaves only positive impressions.
Buying cutters. As soon as the child's teeth begin to erupt, parents need to make sure that he has a special rubber ring. The desire to "scratch" the gum will help in the science of chewing.
Gradual transition to solid food. First you need to accustom the child to mashed potatoes, over time make it thicker and add small pieces.

Mash the puree not with a blender, but with a fork. So the food will be less homogeneous, with small pieces, which contributes to learning.

From 12 months, you can already give your baby small pieces of fruit or vegetables in your hand, enriching the diet as the skill improves.

Help the baby in cooking. Invite the child to mash his own puree with a fork, citing the fact that "the blender is broken, and it's too hard for mom." The child will soon get tired of the cooking process, and he will try to eat a piece of food on his own instead of kneading it for a long time.
Positive example. Sit the child at the table and show him how great it is to eat food in pieces. Get your baby interested in solid food, tell him how delicious it is.

The video shows how to properly teach a child to chew. The main techniques that help the baby in the development of this skill are listed.

What to do if there is no appetite?

It happens that the baby refuses to eat solid food, not because of difficulties in developing the skill of chewing, but simply because of a lack of appetite. Then the main task of parents is not only to teach the baby to chew, but also to stimulate interest in the very process of eating food.

There are several ways to arouse a child's interest:

Make more time for your baby to be physically active. The child will get hungry faster and try the offered food.
Replace juices with rosehip broth. Rosehip helps to increase appetite.
Remove snacks. Feed your child only during the time allotted for eating.
Stimulate your child's interest. Serve food on brightly colored dishes garnished with pieces of fruit or vegetables.
Be persistent but fair. Do not indulge the whims of a child who demands the return of his usual food. But do not yell at the baby, do not scold him for disobedience. Any learning process takes time and patience.

Evgeny Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, has his own opinion on how to develop a chewing skill in a child:

To explain to the child why he is forced to switch to solid food, you need to show imagination. For example, to say that they stopped selling baby puree and now you need to make it yourself.
At the stage of teething, you can give the child drying. He can crush it with his gums, taste it. This will be a prerequisite for the development of chewing skills.
It is necessary to choose the moment for the child to start eating solid food. Unobtrusively slip him a spoonful of food or a piece of fruit.
Inspire your child by the example of other children. Take the baby to the cafe of the entertainment center and show with what interest other children are taken to the food.
First, give your child a delicious treat. For example, a piece of marmalade or a banana.

Komarovsky believes that the main cause of problems with the use of solid food by a child is parents. The success of the formation of the skill depends only on the desire and patience of the parents.

How to teach children with special needs to chew?

Special attention should be paid to the formation of the ability to chew solid food in children with developmental disabilities. These include: children with Down syndrome, children with cerebral palsy, mentally retarded, children with other developmental anomalies.

First of all, in order to form the chewing habit in children with special needs, one should seek advice from a specialist.

But there are also some general recommendations:

Don't dwell on your child's illness. Some parents believe that such children cannot be taught anything because of their health condition. This is wrong. With more effort and patience, a child with special needs can be helped to develop the skill.
Start with soft foods. First of all, give your child foods that are easy to crack, such as bananas.
Show and tell. It is necessary to comment on the whole process of eating, to demonstrate how to eat. Let the child touch the food, examine it.
Provide convenience. Eating should be physically convenient for the child. You need the right furniture and the right utensils.
Encourage any initiative. If the child has shown interest in the spoon, you need to show how to use it.

To help your baby learn to chew solid food, parents should be patient, take care of the baby's convenience, appetite and interest in feeding. Be persistent and consistent, following the regimen and not indulging the whims of the crumbs. It must be remembered that the correct formation of the chewing skill in a baby depends on the parents.